Latch



March 17, 1931.

l.. c. VANDERLIP LATCH Filed Dec. 28. 1929 granato@ fmmwf Patented Mar. 17, 1931 PATENTj OFFICE LOUIS C.v VANDERLIP, OF ELKHALRT, INDIANA LATCH Application led December 28, 1929.' Serial No. 417,244.

This invention relates to doorlatches and particularly tothe swinging lever type of latch which is adapted for use on refrigerator doors, and the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a lever latch which will operate automatically to engage a catch element mounted on the door casing regardless of extreme positions of the lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lever latch having a single angular latch arm which will automatically operate to engage a catch element on the door cas ing regardless of the extreme positions of the 1-5 lever.

A. third object of the invention is to provide a lever latch having a single angular latch arm which will cause the lever handle to be tilted from a horizontal to an upright position when the door upon which it is mounted is` swung toward the closedv position. l

v Other and more specific objects of the invention are mentioned vvand described herein. The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the latch device applied to a refrigerator door and casing with the latch lever in the locked position; v

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3 is a fragmental end view of the latch device showing the door partially open and the latch levervarm in contact with the cam means which tilts the lever from an upri ht to a horizontal position; j

ig. `4 is a fragmental front view of the same elements in the same positions;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental top plan view of the elements illustrated in Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental view similar to Fig.

4 but illustrating the latch lever in the horizontal position prior to its actuation to the upright position bythe cam means on the keeper. v Y

n Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views on the drawing. v

Referring to the details ofthe drawing the sov numeral 1 indiactes a fragment of a door cas ing or j amb with which the door 2 is adapted to cooperate and contact with when the latter Y is closed and latched. The numeral 3 represents the catch or keeper element projecting outward from the body portion 4 thereof which may be rigidly fastened to the casing 1 in any suitable manner. The body element 4 may be provided with a depending extension 5 which carries the cam element 6 thereon, the latter being provided the upwardly and inwardly inclined cam face 7 The catch 3 is provided with the upwardly and inwardly inclined latching. face or portion 8 onV its inner edge, and also with the inwardly and downwardly inclined cam face 9 on its outer edge. The numeral 10 represents the latch lever or handle which may be pivotally mounted on a bearing pin 11 carried in the bifurcated bearing section 12 of the bearing bracket 13, the latter of which may be fastened to the door exterior in any suitable manner, for example, by screws 14. The bearing portion 15 of the handle 10 may be downwardly extended somewhat to cause the portion 16 thereof to engage the upper edge of the bearing element 12 to stop the lever handle 10 in a substantially horiv zontal position when the door is open, or unlatched, which position of said handle is the extreme lowermost point reached thereby. The numeral 17 indicates a latch arm, forming an extension of the handle 10 and projecting across the joint of said door andcasing when the former is closed, said arm extending also laterally of alongitudinal center line through handle 10 and having the latching portion 18 formed thereon and projecting laterally therefromV and substantially parallel with said handle center line. Expressed otherwise, the latch arm 17, together with its section 18, might be termed an L shaped latch arm projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom when the handle 10 is disposed in a horizontal plane, and also one that extends laterally and downwardly therefrom when the latch handle 10 is disposed in an upright position. When door 2 is closed and latched the portion 18 of arm 17 snugly engages the inclined face 8 of the keeper 3, Figures 1 and 2.

The latch arm section 1,8 is provided also with an end face 19 which may be somewhat beveled at 20 to accord with the angle of the cam face 7 on cam element 6. Obviously, therefore, the parts 17, 1S and 19 constitute a combined latch and cam arm carried upon the end of the lever 10. The latch arm 17 may also be provided with the stop shoulder 21 adjacent the lower end thereof, said stop shoulder being adapted to engage the under side of the bearing section 12 to limit the upward swing of the handle 10 to a substantially vertical position, which is the extreme upward limit thereof when the door is open and said handle elevated. If the door is swung toward the closed position, while handle 10 is in such elevated position, the beveled point 20 of latch arm section 1S will engage the cam face 7 thereby tilting the handle 10 downward and causing the outer surface of arm section 18 to engage the keeper edge 8.

On the other hand, if the handle 10 is disposed in the horizontal position 6) when the operator swings the door toward the closed position of the latter the inner beveled edge 22 (Fig. 2) of the latch arm section 1S will contact forcibly with the keeper cam edge 9, thereby tilting the handle 10 upward to the vertical position thereof (Fig. e), whereby the point 19 of arm section 18 may be caused to engage the cam face 7 to project the latch arm section into engagement with the keeper edge 8.

I claim:

1. The combination with a door and a casing therefor, of a keeper attached to said casing, a latch lever pivotally connected to the door and swingable from a depressed to an elevated-position, an angular latch-arm carried by said lever adjacent the end thereof and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom when said lever is in the depressed position, means on said keeper and means on said latch-arm to engage with said keeper means to tilt the lever to the eleva-ted position when the door is partially closed, means carried by said casing and means on said latch-arm to 'engage with said casing means to tilt said lever from the elevated position into engagement with the inner face of said keeper when the door is fully closed.

2. The combination with a door and a casing therefor, of a keeper attached to said casing, a latch lever pivotallyconnectedto the door and swingable from a depressed to an elevated position, an annular latch-arm carried by said lever adjacent the end thereof and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom when said lever is in the depressed position, stop means carried by said latcharm to limit the upward swing of the lever, means on said keeper and means on said latch-arm to engage with said keeper means to tilt the lever to the elevated position when the door is partially closed, means carried by said casing and means on said latch-arm to engage with said casing means to tilt said lever from the elevated position into engagement with the inner face of said keeper when the door is fully closed.

3. The combination with a door and a casing therefor, of a keeper attached to said casing, a latch lever pivotally connected to the door and swingable from a lowermost to an uppermost position, an elbowed latch-arm carried by said lever adjacent the end thereof and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom when said lever is 'in the lowermost position, cam means on said keeper and means on said latch-arm to engage said` keeper cam means to tilt the lever to the uppermost position when the door is partially closed, cam means carried by said casing` and means on said latch-arm to engage with said easing cam means to tilt said lever from the uppermost position into engagement with the inner face of said keeper when the door is fully closed.

4t. The combination with a door and a casing therefor, of a keeper carried by said easing, a latch lever pivotally connected to the door and swingable from a lowermost to an uppermost position, a latch-arm carried by said lever adjacent the end thereof and projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom when said lever is in the lowermost position, cam means on said keeper and means on said latch-arm to engage with said keeper cam means to tilt the lever to the elevated position when the door is partially closed, cam means carried by said casing below said keeper cam means and means on said latcharm to engage with said casing cam means to tilt said lever from the elevated position into engagement with the inner face of said keeper when the door is fully closed.

5. The combination with a door and a casing therefor, of a keeper carried by said casing, a latch lever pivotally connected to the door and swingable from a depressed to an elevated position, an arm on said lever projecting beyond the pivotal mount thereof, a latching element projecting laterally from said arm, means on said keeper and means on said latching element to engage with said keeper means to tilt the lever to the elevated position when the door is partially closed, cam means carried by said casing and means on said latehing element to engage with said casing cam means to tilt the lever from the elevated position into engagement with the inner face of said keeper when the door is closed.

6. The combination with a door and a casing therefor, of a keeper attached to said casing, a latch lever pivotally connected to the door and swingable from a depressed to an elevated position, a combined latch and cam arm carried by said lever adjacent the end thereof and extending angularly therefrom, means on said keeper and means on said combined latch and cam arm to engage with said keeper means to tilt the lever to the elevated position when the door is partially closed, means carried by said casing and means on said combined latch and cam arm to engage with said casing means to tilt said lever from the elevated to the depressed position to cause said combined latch and cam arm to engage the inner face of said keeper.

LOUIS C. VANDERLIP. 

